Product

High voltage MLCCs offering significant size and space saving benefits, available in class 1 (NPO), class 2 (X7R) and C48X (-2,200 ppm/°C) dielectrics. Designed in chips, molded and stacked configurations, these HV capacitors are particularly suited for use in high voltage power supplies, high voltage multipliers, high-rel military and space applications.

Q: How is Ceramic used in Capacitors?

Ceramic chips are created with binders and solvents added to a specified ceramic powder. The slurry created is dried, forming a sheet or tape of ceramic material. Metal powder is mixed with solvents and additional ceramic material to create a liquid electrode. The liquid is then printed onto the ceramic layer. Layers of the ceramic sheets are stacked and laminated to form a solid structure.

The solid structure is cut into the desired size. Once cutting is complete, the assembly must be kiln fired. The temperature used in the firing process is critical in determining the capacitor’s characteristics. The process is similar for disc and chip styles. Disc capacitors use long leads to mount through circuit boards. Chips use surface mount technology.

Q: Silver versus Base Metals?

Electrodes used in ceramic capacitors come under the categories of precious metals or base metals. Silver is used for manufacturing capacitors for higher voltage ratings, 500V and above. Copper and nickel are used for applications under 500 V.

Exxelia can provide you with chip style ceramic capacitors that handle up to 1kV in operating ranges of -55° C to 125° C. Standard tolerances include +/- 5, +/- 10 and +/- 20 percent. For stringent applications, tolerances can be as low as +/- 0.25 pF.

Q: Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors MLCC

Our multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) is a chip capacitor manufactured with layers of ceramic material and metal. The alternating layers can be built up to the desired capacitance range. The dielectric thickness determines the voltage rating. The capacitance is determined by multiplying the number of layers by the amount of active area and then the dielectric constant for the material. This number is then divided by the dielectric thickness. The active area is the overlap between the electrodes.

A capacitor with a thicker dielectric layer handles higher voltages than one with a thinner layer. Inversely, the thinner dielectric will have a higher capacitance rating. The MLCC design provides a significant space-saving advantage over other capacitor styles.

Q: Do I need Class 1 or Class 2 Ceramic Capacitor?

A Class 1 ceramic capacitor is the best choice for applications that demand low losses and high stability. This style provides a reliable capacitance within the designated range of frequency, temperature and voltage. Class 2 series offer higher capacitance, but have wider fluctuations. The thermal stability varies by +/- 15 percent; these should be used in applications that do not require a continual exact capacitance. Exxelia uses NPO and P100 as Class 1 dielectrics ; and BX, 2C1 and X7R as Class 2 dielectrics.

Class 1 feedthrough capacitors offer high frequency noise reduction, and are excellent for use in microwave transmission, medical applications and DC supply and signal lines. Feedthrough design uses an axial-style lead for connections.

Modelithics high accuracy models capture parasitic effects and reliably predict how component performance changes with various scalable input parameters over a specified frequency range. The scaling and optimization features provide advanced analysis capability and allow RF circuit designers to quickly meet design goals. Visit the products page for more information on the advantages of Modelithics models. Our goal is to help you achieve first pass design success!